Terentia: Coming Home
by Alkuna
Summary: Subeta Fanfic. Terentia was in the pound, left with only the hope of being adopted by a kind owner. But even getting adopted isn't the end to everything. From meeting the harsh Nerrow to the fears of getting a new color, life is never easy. R&R please
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda

The Usual: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda

Chapter 1

The life of a pound pet is never easy. We all crowd around four at a time, hoping against hope that we would walk out of the pound that day with a loving human. Kumos wag their tails. Feli purr noisily. Each and every species had some endearing trait to be picked. Dragarths puffed the occasional flame or smoke ring. Or just sat and smiled pleasantly.

I'm one of the sitters. Oh sure, I mastered smoke rings and flames when I was just a little thing; but that stuff just wasn't me. So I simply sat and smiled shyly at humans.

A hard faced human came to look at me and I felt my heart stop for a second as he eyed me over. He examined me, checking my paws to see if my claws were sharp and scowling when he found they were not; I'm not a fighter so I round down my nails to avoid getting into the wrong sort of crowds. He checked to see if my graceful horns were pointed and spat a curse when he found they were softly rounded and smooth. He treated me roughly, as though I had no more feelings than a brick. I would have snapped at him but feared that any show of temper would give him the wrong idea about what I was like.

He glowered and went on eventually, and I spent a minute or two re-learning how to breathe. A few nice looking humans wandered by, mostly not looking at me in any serious light.

One blonde human walked over and looked me over thoughtfully, checking out my overall appearance. My heart sped up and I gave the short fur that covered me from nose to tail tip a nervous running over to make sure it wasn't disheveled from the rough handling.

She rubbed her chin, looked deep into my eyes, and then gave me a small smile and moved on. My heart sank a little until I heard the computer near the entrance of the pound beep cheerfully. There was a soft clacking of the keyboard and a puzzled "Huh…"

A brunette walked by a few minutes after that, look a gander at me and then shrugged, "No she's still Lilac."

"Ah, must be the computer's error then. It shows her as Common colored."

_It did what?_

The brunette wandered off, and the pair walked around for a while, looking over pets. Then the hard faced man came back. I sucked in a frightened breath, fearing for sure he would adopt me, but he moved on again muttering about the cost of making me 'worthwhile'.

Finally the blonde knelt down in front of me again and I nearly threw myself into her lap and begged to be taken in.

"Terentia," she said and my heart leaped into my throat, "I have a proposition for you."

"Uhhh." My nose crinkled on one side. Feeling like I had missed something very important in this conversation I blundered awkwardly on, "Geez miss…" I glanced at her name tag, "Alkuna... I'm flattered and all but I'm not, uh, you know…" _I prefer Subeta Pets to begin with, all genders aside…_

Her brunette friend cracked up so hard she collapsed to the floor, trying to catch her breath. The name DarkSunrise was pinned to her shirt. ("I'm actually his wife," she explained to me later, "I help keep watch over the Pets when he's busy.")

Alkuna gave an ironic smirk and shook her head, "Okay I deserved that. No, no, I didn't mean it that way, though thank you for trying to be honest and polite. I meant a proposition as in a deal or agreement."

"Oh!" I blushed, embarrassed and annoyed at myself for not figuring that out sooner. _Stupid Dragarth! Where IS my brain today?_ "Of course. Please continue."

"I don't have any slots left over for a new pet right now," my heart sank, "But I do have a friend who is willing to foster you until I can get the space." My heart lifted a little bit again.

"How long?" I was almost afraid to ask, but being shunted aside and forgotten scared me almost more than a life in the Battle Coliseum.

"Not too terribly long," she assured me, "No more than a month or two."

A month or two she said. _Or three. Or ten… or…_

But…

I swallowed thickly, "You won't forget me? You promise?"

Alkuna smiled and nodded.

"Alicookiez said it's not a promise if you don't say it out loud," I persisted.

"Who's Alicookiez?" Alkuna raised an eyebrow.

"The owner who raised me from an egg. Do you promise?" I had a hold of the conversation with all four feet and even my teeth just to be sure and wasn't going to let go until she gave me what I wanted.

Alkuna smiled kindly and cupped my chin in her hands to bring my gaze to her own, "Then in honor of Alicookiez, I promise you'll have a spot with me, and I promise I won't forget you."

I lifted my front paws up and gave her hands a squeeze, "Thank you. I'll be seeing you soon then."

"Yes you will," she smiled back at me as Mrs. DarkSunrise, recovered from her laughter, took my paw in her hand gently and led me to my new temporary home.

Time seemed to pass slowly for me. The Pets I was fostering with were never cruel to me, and I was never neglected for food or water. But some things go beyond the need for daily survival. I was nice to all of them, and they were nice to me. If someone invited me to go do something with them, I went gladly even if my heart wasn't completely in it.

Aimii the Galactic Kumos was always eager for help with her new Astralflaik, Nebula, and I couldn't help but be charmed by the minion's antics. I learned how to care for her properly by babysitting the minion; at first with Aimii's tutelage and then for a few days while Aimii took a trip to Atebus and off to the Coda Caves. She came back, making snarky comments about stuck up fairies but sporting a dazzling coat that looked like the heavens.

It made me wonder in my free time. _Would I have a minion? What kind? Would I get a makeover? What would I look like when Alkuna was done with me?_ I was a little afraid of that last one.

Some poor fellow had been dubbed MisterDeath, painted Dawn and left in the pound around the same time I was. I felt so bad for him; potion splashed bright pink and having such a contrasting name absolutely guaranteed that no one would ever take him seriously.

"I am MisterDeath… no really... Stop laughing dammit! It's not funny. No dude seriously!"

You always knew when someone found him; there was a burst of laughter from his direction and a frustrated Dragarth's voice trying and failing to be heard.

I rubbed the back of my neck unhappily. Don't get me wrong, dawn is a beautiful time of day and some Pets can pull it off without looking ridiculous… but some of us, especially the poor guys… were never meant to be such a color.

"Aimii," I said as I ran the brush down Nebula's back, "What's… my new family like? Have you met them?"

Aimii looked thoughtful, "Not really. I know the owner is really nice, and everyone has Treasures, a minion, and a color they really like. But I haven't really met them in person."

"Oh…"

Seeing my slightly downcast look, Aimii tried to reassure me, "Hey, they could be off the wall bonkers for all any of us knows, but if Alkuna is as nice as they say, she would have told everyone that she's adopting you. So one way or another, you'll be welcomed."

I wasn't so sure. Rumors ran rampant in the pound of Created Pets who were jealous of newcomers and treated them terribly. Still, I took a deep breath and tried to let my worries leak out as I exhaled.

Amii sent them a letter asking for information about themselves and we had an answer within hours, one of Alkuna's pets sent an introduction and description and description of everyone. The tone was cheerful and enthusiastic; they all seemed to look forward to their new sibling.

Relief washed through me as I read the letter, Aimii let me read it first, and I was grateful to have solid proof that I would be welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 2

A few days later DarkSunrise himself came in and introduced us to a Sun Darkonite named Nerrow.

I felt a pang of distinct discomfort as I looked at the fellow. Suspicion crept through his yellow eyes no matter who or what he was looking at, and there was something about him that screamed "wild". I did my best not to shiver; he was someone who'd lived on the really bad side of life and not every scar was visible.

The ones that _were_ visible were scary enough as it was. Old, white tooth marks stood out at his neck and throat, telling stories of opponents who had gone for his jugular in horrific fights long past. There were signs of bites to his legs where something or some_one _had grabbed and chewed on him. One of his tails had been broken and now bent at an odd angle. Claw marks dribbled down the left side of his muzzle and one long gash curved its way across his flanks; luckily it didn't seem to have plunged deep enough to injure his spine. One ear was notched and the other tattered to lace and thinly healed. His newest set of wounds had hardly scabbed over yet and looked like something had clawed up his shoulders.

"Terentia?"

I lifted my gaze from his damaged hide to look up at DarkSunrise, "Yes?"

"Nerrow is going to be adopted by Alkuna too, so would you help him out some? I wouldn't force you to be friends, but just be friendly at least."

I swallowed and nodded, "Sure."

"Thank you," he patted my head gently before leaving for the day.

I got up and padded over to him, slowly and trying not to be threatening, "Hi! My name is Terentia. I guess we're going to our new owner together."

Those suspicious yellow eyes snapped to me the instant I had started moving toward him. He stiffened for a long moment, then relaxed slightly and grunted, "Guess so."

"Have you thought about what you want to be?"

Confusion shifted behind his eyes, "Be?"

"Oh, didn't Alkuna say anything to you? She's going to get us minions and a new color when we come home," I curled my tail around my front legs and smiled encouragingly at him. _Stupid Dragarth. The letter only mentioned you… but surely she'd do the same for Nerrow as she would for me? She'd better, or I just won't accept the gifts until he gets a fair share too._

"She did mention something like that," Nerrow turned away as though it meant little.

"Have you thought about it?" I asked curiously.

"I'm not too terribly picky," his lip curled, "I've been zapped so many times I don't even remember what I started out as. But I've developed a real distaste for Darkonite and Swampie."

I grimaced in sympathy, "I'm sorry," I said softly, "That can't have been easy. Does it hurt?"

He shot me an annoyed look but then shrugged his shoulders, "Not really. I'm not saying it's comfortable or relaxing, but it doesn't hurt." He eyed me up and down, and then said, "What are you changing into? You don't really look like you need a change, unlike me."

I blushed and smiled slightly at the subtle compliment, "There's nothing wrong with you either. I'm thinking I may want to be Galactic, though."

"Galactic… yeah that would suit you. I dunno for me. What would you think?"

Surprised that he wanted my input, I sat back and thought long and hard, but couldn't pick anything off the top of my head, "Hmm. I don't know either."

At the flicker of disappointment in his eyes I hurried on, "But I do know how to find out. Hang on."

Dear Nelania,

You don't know me, but my name is Terentia and Alkuna is planning to take me in when she has room, so hopefully we can be sisters soon! Anyway I wanted to ask you a favor. There's another fellow named Nerrow who has no idea what he would like to change into. I thought that since you know computers really well, you'd be able to find a way for us to look at all of the species and colors.

Thanks in advance,

Terentia and Nerrow

Salutations Terentia and Nerrow,

Your request intrigued me greatly. I used my programming skills to the utmost to create this program for your perusal. I hope you love it.

Nelania the Programmer

P.S. It will not be a problem to upgrade the information to include minions or new colors at any time if you wish it.

I flicked a switch and with a hum the device, about the size of a clipboard, hummed to life. The screen blinked, and then text scrolled across the screen:

View By Color

View By Species

"Color," Nerrow said, "Uhm… Try Angelic."

I bit my tongue but obeyed.

With a blip, the screen lit up with images of Angelic pets.

"Now Dark Matter… Galactic… Hydrus… Reborn… Spectrum… Twilight. Hmmm…" Nerrow scribbled down a few species; discarding all but the ones that caught his eyes, even a little bit. He eyed his list thoughtfully and then asked me to bring up the pictures of a few select species again. Finally he grunted and turned to me, "What do you think?"

I looked up, surprised, "Hey, it's your choice."

"Of course it is. But I like to hear a second opinion."

"Well…" I had made my own judgments on the pictures that had flashed across the screen, but kept my mouth shut, not wanting to influence him, "Now don't take this the wrong way… but I don't think Angelic or Spectrum would suit you."

"Okay."

Well he hadn't gotten mad at me yet so I pushed onward, "I'm thinking you'd do well as an Archan, really. A Reborn one."

"Reborn Archan? What did that look like again?" he sounded intrigued.

I scrolled through the options but had to stop at an empty square marked 'Unavailable'.

The yellow eyes narrowed and lost the spark of warmth they had started to hold and turned icy, "Explain."

I swallowed and tried to sound as reasonable as I could, "Well, I just thought that you'd like to be an Archan. They have the feline grace as well as power, plus…" I ducked my head and blushed, and then half mumbled, "I think you'd look handsome as one too."

The corners of his mouth twitched up slightly and he regained the spark of warmth, "Okay. Why not a Tigrean or a Celinox then?"

"I-I only like the Dark Matter and the Galactic and the Lilac Tigreans. Our soon to be sister Alkuma is Galactic, so I figured you wouldn't want to look exactly like someone else. Lilac is, ah, kinda girly," I took a breath and he smirked, his gaze steady on mine, "And… well I think you'd look pretty good as a Dark Matter Tigrean too I guess…"

"And the Celinox?"

"Dark Matter… rats, I think you'd look good as that too," I sat down and toggled between the two Species, trying to use my imagination to bring to life what the Reborn Archan might look like.

"So why pick a look that isn't even out yet?" he eyed me intently.

I looked up at him, setting the device down and trying not to squirm, "I like the Reborn look, and they have yet to disappoint me. They all look really cool. It just makes sense that a Reborn Archan would look awesome."

"I see," he broke his gaze from my own and I took a deep breath for the first time in several minutes, as he scribbled on his notepad, "Well then we're agreed."

I jumped, the short fur along my spine standing up in surprise, "Huh? What? We are?"

"Indeed," he handed me his list, and I was shocked to note that everything on the list was crossed out but the Dark Matter Tigrean, the Dark Matter Celinox, and then added to the bottom was 'Reborn Archan' circled and with a few question marks next to it.

"Wow, that's cool," I admitted.

"Great minds think alike," he ambled away.

_Huh. Two compliments on the first day. Must be a new record._ I switched the device off, stretched, and trotted outside to mull over my thoughts of my new companion.

He really had scared me when he'd first showed up, and he was hardly Mister Outgoing. But he seemed like an okay guy.

_Yeah just as long as you're not the foolish little sheltered girl who falls for the bad man,_ jeered my thoughts, _Just because the bad boy seems fascinating doesn't mean he's good for you._

I shook my head as though to dislodge a fly and took a deep breath of the warm sunny air. I just met him and it wasn't like I'd throw it all in with a stranger.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 3

With a bound I spread my wings and was airborne. The sky was open to me, and after my time in the pound, I cherished the freedom it brought.

I did a circuit around the lake, and then angled toward Riverside valley off in the distance. Only by chance did I glance down at a flash of movement and catch the dark red figure racing along almost perfectly in my shadow. Bewildered, I tilted my wings and lost altitude. The figure grew more distinct the closer I got to the ground and I couldn't help the gasp that forced its way out of my mouth as a broken tail lashed and scarred flanks flexed in the sunlight.

"Nerrow!?" I did a small dive and swept up beside him, keeping pace with his rapidly pumping legs, "Nerrow is something wrong?"

Was he trying to catch me because something happened at DarkSunrise's house?

Nerrow gave a breathless growl and shook his head at me, indicating with his one good tail that I should keep going. Confused but obedient I flapped my wings hard and regained altitude, soaring above him as he raced within my shadow. Finally I spiraled down to land gracefully near a patch of woods near the river's bank and he skidded to a stop next to me, his sides heaving as he fought for breath.

"Are…you okay?" I asked when his breathing had slowed somewhat. _ Stupid question, he looks exhausted. What was he doing? Everyone knows that racing a flying creature is damn near impossible!_

He snorted vehemently and half staggered to the water's edge, where he drank thirstily. Finally he lifted his head and flashed me a rakish smile, "Just fine. Not as bad as I feared. Apparently I can still run as well as I could before."

"I've never seen anyone move like that. You followed me all the way from the house?" I was impressed.

"Yeah." Nerrow stretched and flexed as he began to cool down, so his muscles wouldn't cramp up, "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For intruding on your alone time," his back leg popped and he winced as he stretched it back.

"You're not intruding," I assured him, "I was just worried when I saw you racing to keep up. I thought something might have gone wrong and you were trying to signal to me."

He gave a small chuckle, "Nah. I make it a point to be able to run fast and hard. I saw you take off and just decided to chase you on a whim."

"I'll bet your leaps are amazing," I sat down next to him with a smile.

"Mmhmm. They're the closest thing I've ever experienced to flying," he admitted.

I felt a pang of pity. It had never occurred to me how trapped it would feel to not have wings.

"Now don't feel terrible about something we can't help," Nerrow half growled, apparently catching sight of my expression.

"But… you could pick a form with wings," I protested, "An Aerie maybe or a Magnus."

He closed his eyes and smiled, "Already looked, remember? Oh don't look so down, Tia. I picked the forms I like. It's just a matter of choosing."

"Tia, huh?"

He flinched, a quick expression in his eyes said he hadn't meant for that to slip out, "Sorry… Would you prefer…?"

"Oh, no. I don't mind. But no one else gets to call me that," I looked away and blushed slightly, scuffing my paws in the grass shyly.

"Heh, deal. So anyway, what brought you out here?" His tone had gotten quite a bit friendlier as we had talked and now he looked around with interest.

"Oh… Well..." I led the way past the first few trees and pushed a screen of hanging vines aside to reveal a sun drenched meadow filled with flowers, "I have a special place here."

"You planted all of this?" he sounded impressed, stepping carefully between rows of hibiscus blooms.

"Not all of it," I admitted testing the soil's dryness with a claw, "It used to be a wild field of flowers. At first I thought it would just be a whim of mine, but as I started transplanting them into rows and caring for them it became one of my prides." I picked up a Demi Watering Pot that I had stashed at the edge of the field and began making trips from the stream to the rows, carefully watering the earth.

After a moment Nerrow joined me, picking up one of the extra watering cans and helping me tend to the plants.

We worked in a companionable silence for the rest of the day before I sat back and smiled in satisfaction. The earth had been watered and the rows weeded. All that was left was to sit back and enjoy the way the wind made the colors ripple and wave.

"Whoo," Nerrow let out a long breath and sat down next to me, sporting a streak of dirt across his left cheek; "Wow. You really are dedicated to this place aren't you?"

"I come just about every other day to check up on it," I agreed, "Flowers are one of my weaknesses."

"I've never had much of a weakness for anything other than food," he admitted, stretching out on his stomach, "Though I have a thing for Caramel in particular." He licked his lips and I giggled.

He sat up slowly after a while and looked at me, "You know… you were afraid of me… at first. I could see it in the way you looked at my scars."

I dropped my eyes guiltily, "Yeah…"

"Do they… look that horrible to someone like you?"

My head whipped around and I stared at him in utter bewilderment, "They what? Like me? Huh?"

He averted his eyes and growled low in his throat, "These scars disfigure me. I must look horrible and ugly to someone as pretty as you. Some days it's all I can do to walk without limping, and you walk with such grace I-"

He broke off when I burst out laughing.

"Oh my! Me! Graceful!" I giggled again, rolling onto my back. Finally I managed to catch my breath and smiled at him from my upside down position, "Oh Nerrow… this is just your first few days with me. Believe me, hang around for a while and you'll learn. There's nothing graceful about me except my flying. The floor can be perfectly flat and I'll still trip over my own feet."

A ghost of a smile played across his muzzle before he grew serious again, "So… about my scars…"

"They're fine," I insisted, rolling onto my stomach and looking him in the eyes, "They were just shocking… is all…" _Stupid Dragarth! That doesn't sound much better!_ "I mean…" I barreled on awkwardly, "every one tells a story of pain… It's hard to imagine someone living through all of that and still coming out alive."

His eyes grew hooded and a small upturn of the mouth suggested that he wasn't offended by my clumsy attempts to explain, "They didn't happen all at once. My tail happened when I was very little. I don't even remember how that happened. But… You were afraid. I know you were. If not my scars, what was so scary?"

"You were," I said softly, looking away.

I heard him haul himself to his feet and a second later he walked right in front of me and stared straight into my eyes, "Explain."

I swallowed hard, "Your eyes were so cold. Unyielding and suspicious. You walked into that house primed for violence. There was just something in the way you stood that said you expected a fight to the death and you would go off on a hair trigger. It seemed like if I got too close… if I accidentally bumped you… if my tail so much as brushed your shoulder you would whip around and attack me… viciously."

Now it was his turn to look away, "You were right," he admitted, "all my life I have fought for every little thing I got. It only made sense to me that I would have to fight to get accepted."

"Well that's definitely not a problem here, and I don't think it will be a problem at our true home either," I looked up at him, meeting his gaze with a kind smile.

"Yeah…" he tilted his head, "Things really are different. You're not afraid to be caught relaxing or on your back in case someone attacks you."

As I blinked, realizing what he was implying, he began to limber up again, "Well, it's getting toward evening and we should probably head back to the house."

"Uhmm, sure," I rolled to my feet, stretched out my wings and glanced at him, "Can you, um, run all the way back? I can glide slowly if you want."

"I'll be fine," he stretched one final time and dropped into a ready crouch.

Giving a mental shrug I gave a bound forward and with a beat of my wings I was airborne. As soon as I moved Nerrow lunged forward and in a few bounds was ahead of me, racing back toward home as fast as his legs could carry him.

I beat my wings hard until I reached the right height and then swooped after him. I didn't feel the need to compete so I simply caught a wind and rode it in the right direction. Even without hurrying I caught up with his sprinting form easily; the lay of the land didn't hinder me with its rocks to dodge, the river to ford or the contours to slow me down. He slipped into my shadow and stayed there for nearly the rest of the trip home, slowing only when something came up in his path.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 4

We read the letter over and over all throughout the next week, trying to memorize the facts in hopes of getting names and faces right when we met them all.

When the big day came, I was trembling as I waited for Alkuna and Darksunrise to show up. This was it, the big day. Nerrow simply lay calmly on his stomach, his chin pillowed on his paws.

"How can you be so calm?" I asked, turning for the umpteenth time to pace again across the width of the front room. Five steps, turn, five steps.

"I'm not," he murmured rubbing at an eye in a bored way, "But where I came from you learn that to show fear is a sign of weakness. So it's just a habit to pretend to be calm. Besides, pacing just wears you out and you're less ready when the time comes."

Sighing, I stretched out next to him and tried to follow his example.

Just as I thought I was getting my heartbeat to slow down, the door opened and DarkSunrise walked in with a smile at the two of us, "Ready?"

My heart thundered in my chest for the brief moment of fear when Darksunrise took us to the pound and let me go. Then like a bird of prey Alkuna swooped down and lifted me out again, paying the money for the adoption so quickly I wasn't sure she had even checked to make sure she had paid the right amount.

"Terentia," Alkuna said, dropping down next to me and hugging me tightly.

"M-mom," I managed to half gasp as her embrace squeezed the air out of my lungs. I clutched her almost frantically. This was it. There would be no more waiting. No more hoping for a permanent home.

I turned back and for an instant Nerrow and I stared at one another across the gap that separated the two families. I was surprised by the strange sensation of loss that hit me at seeing us apart, and I really didn't like it.

Then Darksunrise smiled at Nerrow, "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," he grunted.

I felt another spike of fear as Nerrow was abandoned, and then exhaled in relief as Alkuna adopted him. She knelt and embraced the Darkonite, and he returned the embrace with only a token grumble.

"Are you ready to meet the family?" she asked us with a smile.

"More than ever," I managed.

Nerrow nodded.

Alkuna smiled and the three of us walked side by side through Riverside Valley. She turned away from the river and led me up a smoothly rising hill until…

"Oh my gosh!"

We had stopped at a beautiful two story house built at the very top of the hill. A spacious yard surrounded it and I could see a Chibi Keeto, who must have been Mavhai, playing tag with a Spectrum Kumos; Lacoda. It was like a mansion to my eyes, and I was almost afraid to walk up to the gate; fearing that it was all too good to be true.

"You must be Terentia," I looked up to see a lavender and blue peppermint looking ball of fluff curled on top of the fence. She uncurled and resolved into an Angelic Kerubi with a shy, sweet smile on her face. She turned her head and smiled just as warmly, "And Nerrow! Wow both of you at once, this is great!"

"That's us. You must be Hoshika," I carefully pronounced the name and prayed I didn't mess it up.

"Got it in one. Hang on a sec," so saying she stepped nimbly across the gate and unlatched it with a dainty paw.

Alkuna pushed the gate open gently so as not to dump Hoshika on the ground and paused to let her pet spring to her shoulders. From there Hoshika stretched down, used Alkuna's flattened palms as a step and fluttered down to land next to me. I was surprised to note that her shoulders were a good three inches lower than mine but she walked gamely along beside me despite the shorter legs.

"We've all been anxious to meet you, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait to find your room," she said, her head turning from one to the other as though she didn't know who to look at first, "Otherwise you'll have a Kumos pile of Pets at your door peering in at you!"

She giggled at the idea and I couldn't help but laugh too, despite the startled thought that flitted through my mind; _I have a room?_

Mavhai nearly barreled into me in pursuit of Lacoda, and then he skidded to a stop with wide eyes, his gaze drinking me in. Then his gaze darted to Nerrow, roving all over his scarred hide in fascination. Suddenly his muzzle parted in a wide grin, "You're here... THEY'RE HERE!" he announced to the yard.

Immediately we were swarmed by welcoming pets, all of whom seemed to be of the same mind.

"Welcome Terentia! Welcome Nerrow! Welcome home! Welcome to our family!"

A lump formed in my throat as I thanked them all. Nerrow made a face at first, and then thanked the eager Pets with short mumbles. Some sat aside and let the more excitable members of the family crowd around and shake my paw. As soon as the crowd cleared they too came forward, much more calmly, to welcome me warmly. Then the crowd rotated and the ones that had surrounded me, traded places to swarm Nerrow next.

The Dark Matter Kumos, Mercolo, came forward finally with a smile, "C'mon. You're probably tired from your exciting day. Let me show you to your room."

I was finally able to speak my thoughts as we made our way beyond the excitedly chattering mob, "I have a room?"

A light laugh at my side revealed that Hoshika was walking on my other side, as calm as ever and still gamely keeping up, "We all have rooms. There are plenty extra to go around too. Mom wants to take in a full set of twenty, but you guys get seniority."

"Speaking of which, aren't I missing someone? Al…Alkuma was it?" I asked as we made our way up the stairs to the second level. Nerrow kept us silent company, either having nothing to say or not sure how to say it.

Mercolo nodded, "You have a good memory. She's off at the Coliseum right now, probably beating the snot out of some poor opponent or other. She'll be back in the afternoon. I'll tell her to stop and say hi. Ah, here we are. I'm afraid it's a bit bare right now since the furniture selection's rather crappy but…"

I swallowed thickly. The room was bare save for a simple Short Bed, positioned so that someone sitting on it could drink in the sweeping view of the river and town from the window.

"It's… It's wonderful," I said softly, and managed a wobbly smile.

Mercolo's eyes drooped half closed and a slow smile spread across his muzzle, "We'll add as more comes out. For now, you should probably rest a bit. Feel free to take a nap. It's been a big day for everyone, but especially for you. Come on Nerrow, your room is right down the hall." Hoshika smiled at me and hopped onto Mercolo's shoulders, trying not to look winded by the walking she'd done.

Nerrow shot a glance at me to make sure I was okay, and then followed Mercolo when I nodded.

I was surprised to find that I agreed with Mercolo's assumption. I just felt so overwhelmed, first with waiting for this whole thing to start, then the heart stopping trip to the pound, then with meeting all my new siblings, and then finding I had a room all to myself in this big house. As the three left me alone in my room…_my very own room_… I sighed and curled up on the bed, feeling my eyes growing heavy already.

I woke up somewhat later when a heavenly smell reached my nose. I opened my eyes to early evening and the icy gaze of a Galactic Tigrean poking her head into my room.

"Good," she grunted when I blinked and raised my head, "Get downstairs. Lacoda's finished with dinner."

This must be Alkuma. I remembered from the letter that she was usually grumpy so I tried not to take offence from her gaze or tone. Instead I got up, stretched briefly and trotted out to join her in the hall.

"Thanks for telling me," I said with a small smile.

"Meh," was her bland answer, "You meet the rest of the screaming banshee horde?"

I chuckled a bit, "All but you. You've all been very welcoming."

"You'll be bombarded by questions from family members. You and that Darkonite are the first adoptees we've ever had," she started downstairs, leading the way to the dining room table.

"Thanks for the warning," I took a deep bracing breath before we stepped into the room.

A warm glow filled the room from end to end. All the family members were gathered at the table and were chattering with each other, but as soon as we walked in a space was made for me. Alkuma walked away to take a seat next to where I suspected our Mom was going to sit.

Nerrow tilted his head briefly in greeting to me as I took a seat on a chair next to him, and then turned to answer a question from an Angelic Paralix.

Questions flew around the room, directed at me, or Nerrow, or both of us. We both answered honestly as we could. Finally the kitchen door swept open and food was carried out by Mom and Lacoda and placed on the table.

I smiled as Konaro, a Galactic Celinox who sat on my other side, gave me a brief rasping purr and passed me a plate of food to snag from, "Take some from every plate that passes," he warned me with a wry expression, "Lacoda's meals are good enough that most of the time there is no such thing as seconds or leftovers."

I took his advice to heart, and helped myself to as much as I thought I could eat without stuffing myself silly. Everything tasted heavenly. The dinner table was filled with the kind of contented silence that comes with food that tasted so good no one wanted to waste time chatting. As I finished eating and licked my lips in satisfaction, I caught a pair of blue eyes looking into mine.

Lacoda smiled gently at me, "Terentia, would you join me in the kitchen after everyone's done?"

"Sure," I agreed, feeling a brief prickle of uncertainty despite her kind expression.

Once everyone had washed their plates and gone about their ways, Lacoda drew me aside so we could talk quietly.

"Are you settling in all right?" she asked.

"Well it's only the first day, but I'm not having problems with anyone if that's what you mean," I replied, curling my tail around my front paws.

Lacoda smiled, "That's always a good start. We were all told that our newest family member was going to be adopted rather than created. I must say that it aroused everyone's curiosity. None of us are adopted. We've never had another owner before. Can you imagine our surprise when Mom said she'd found two of you? We all want to know what it's like to... well... have another owner."

Immediately I understood and let out a small breath; "Alicookiez was my original owner," I closed my eyes, remembering, "She created me… named me Terentia. She told me my name is Greek for 'guardian', so I always knew that she loved me enough to pick a good name for me. Not every owner is so kind. I've heard stories and seen the results of poor Pets who were created with names that were cruel or insensitive. And I've heard horrible stories of abuse and misery. I've been lucky in that Alicookiez raised me with care and love. She taught me a lot before she was forced to give me up, so when she did I didn't feel as horrible about her as I would have otherwise."

Lacoda's soft blue eyes watched me patiently as I took a deep, shaky breath.

"I won't lie to you… I hated Adopt R Us. I grew miserable by the end of the first day. We don't get to pick and choose among the owners that come to take us, and yet so many are so desperate to have an owner, any owner, that they rush forward the instant someone comes by to look. I've seen many come and go. I've seen owners that were kind, some that seemed scatterbrained, and I've seen some with hard faces and mean dispositions. Alkuna and I are both incredibly lucky that we came together when we did… One man seemed to be interested in me for all the wrong reasons." I stopped and shuddered.

Lacoda leaned reassuringly against my shoulder, "If you'd like, I'll tell the others myself. That way you don't have to keep repeating such a difficult story."

I nodded.

"All right then, in that case, I'd like to change the subject to something a little more cheerful," the timer on the stove dinged and the Spectrum Kumos pulled a tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven and replaced it with a new one, "Are there any foods you can't stand? Or are you allergic to anything?"

"I like most foods… don't think I'm allergic to anything. Hate gross foods like liver and eggplant and all that freaky stuff," I mused while Lacoda smiled.

"Then your tastes run pretty much along ours. That's good to know. Anything you like in particular? Sweets? Snacks?"

"Portable stuff; mostly something that takes a while to work on," I thought for a moment, "Kumos, Pie, and Old Wizard pops. Oh and cookies; especially chocolate chips and snickerdoodles."

Lacoda's eyes sparkled with amusement, "Well I can certainly accommodate you in the cookie department. And I can talk Mom into setting aside a pop or two when she restocks. Hmm. I'll have to ask Nerrow what he likes too, I suppose," she flicked her tail as though to add emphasis to remembering the thought, "Oh, and I hope we haven't made you feel awkward or uncomfortable. We're a big family and we sometimes forget that crowds are uncomfortable to some."

"Don't worry about it. It's a little overwhelming at first but I can get used to that."

"Well don't force yourself. And if you feel overwhelmed, don't be afraid to ask for alone time. We all cherish our own individual times as well as our group times," she pressed a cookie into my paw and smiled warmly, "Oh, this is kind of out of the blue but have you picked what you want to change into yet? I'm not trying to push you mind, just…"

"It's okay," I munched on the cookie, feeling a contented rumble rise from my chest as the warm, gooey chocolate chips rolled over my tongue. I licked every finger clean, then blushed as Lacoda watched me with an amused but proud glint in her eyes, "I-I want to stay a Dragarth, but I'd love to be Galactic colored."

"That's a good choice," she approved, "Now you should probably head for bed, dear. I'm sure you could use some time to wind down." She pressed a few more into my paws before turning to scoop the cooled cookies of the sheet with a spatula.

I thanked her for the cookies and padded out of the kitchen feeling warm inside that had nothing to do with the cookies.

A faint scuff of paws on carpet warned me in time to stop even as a pair of yellow eyes merged out of the shadows on the stairs to reveal a concerned looking Nerrow, "Oh… Tia… Did you get lost?"

"Hmm? Oh no, but thank you for worrying about me. Lacoda wanted to ask me how I was settling in and to see if there was anything she needed to know about my eating habits. She's like to talk to you too, if you're not too tired," I smiled at him.

He nodded thoughtfully, "Then I'll do that. You can find your room okay then?" he shot me a considering glance out of the corner of his eye.

At my smile and reassuring nod, he continued past me and ambled into the kitchen. I took a deep breath, taking in the heady scent of baking that would soon become an integral part of 'home'.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 5

Morning arrived with an unusual ruckus that jolted me out of a sound sleep. Half terrified that there was a Bovyne stampede charging through the hallway, I staggered to the door and peeked out blearily. A somewhat more alert Nerrow stuck his scowling face outside the door a little farther down the hall and growled at Mercolo's Dark Matter infested tail as it vanished down the stairs.

"Is this going to be normal?!" he demanded.

"Meeeeer," trilled Niyami in a depressed sounding note of agreement as she padded her way out of her room. She paused and sniffed eagerly then added in a much more cheerful warble, "Two-weep!" The Dark Matter Aerie was completely blind in both eyes and to the best of my knowledge, never actually spoke words. Still, she got around just fine, thanks to a strange connection to the Dark Matters that seemed to work like sonar.

"Ahh breakfast!" I perked up as the smell of cooking bacon drifted to my own nose.

"Well the morning isn't a total disaster then," Nerrow added and we followed Niyami's confident paw steps downstairs to the dining room.

I gently batted an orb of Dark Matter away as it left Niyami's silky tail and flitted over to investigate my left nostril.

"Just in time," Lacoda greeted us, "I assume thunder-paws over there got you up for the event," she gestured with a fork at Mercolo as he began setting the plates up for breakfast.

"Unfortunately yes," Nerrow muttered rubbing his eyes.

"Some of us are so used to it we sleep right through it," Lacoda assured us with a smile, "They'll come down for food later. But while you're here you might as well eat while it's hot."

Every kind of breakfast food imaginable ran the length of the table and I took a little of everything to sample Lacoda's cooking. I took my time, savoring each food as I came to it. Nerrow didn't skimp either on the selection and ate with the kind of intensity that I had long come to accept as his way of eating. When you're afraid it's going to be stolen by some street punk, you learned to eat fast and hard and worry about taste later. Just because it wasn't a danger anymore didn't mean you broke the habit instantly.

Accepting our appreciation in its own forms, Lacoda smiled and bowed to us before padding back into the kitchen to retrieve something else.

At a soft, querulous whistle from Niyami I glanced over and saw her patting the table near a stack of waffles.

"Here," I snagged the maple syrup from its spot down the table and placed it in her paws. She sniffed it to be sure and then chirped to me. I responded with a smile; "You're welcome."

Nerrow grabbed his fork and threatened to jab a Dark Matter that had come over to explore his second helping of sausage.

I laughed, "Seems like the family aren't the only ones curious about us."

Niyami gave a low scolding whistle and the Dark Matters retreated much closer to her vicinity. Just in time too, for the rest of the family was starting to stagger in, yawning sleepily but following their noses to the sweet scent of breakfast.

Mom showed up a little after and joined us at the table to spend some time with us before heading off to the shop to check the till.

"So do you have anything special planned for today?" Hoshika asked me, nibbling almost delicately at a piece of bacon.

"Mmm, nope, not really," I shook my head.

"Excellent," Kehai, a Spectrum Keeto, announced. Today the rainbow swatch on her back resembled a butterfly, but I'd been told some days it looked like stylized flames or a four leaf clover; "As Luck would have it, today is a perfect day for a nature walk. And I know just the place to show the both of you."

"As 'Luck' would have it huh?" Hoshika giggled, poking Kehai teasingly in the ribs.

"Hey I don't mess with the weather," Kehai snorted, "Quitzel gets cranky when I do. Besides, you can't call it 'nature's artwork' if you mess around with it to suit your own needs. It wouldn't belong to nature then would it?"

"Thank you," I interjected, "I would love to come. What about you Nerrow?"

He swiveled his notched ear blandly, "Yeah."

"Great! We can all make a trip out of it!" Hoshika clapped her paws enthusiastically and scooped another bite of Lacoda's home made omelet into her mouth.

Kehai led the way, setting a comfortable pace that made it easier for Hoshika's short legs to keep up with the rest of us. I felt bad for her; none of us was tall enough for her to ride upon properly when she got tired and the few times we had to climb a particularly steep part, we had to pull her up from above while someone else boosted her from below. She did her best to help out, her little paws scrambling and wings flapping to provide what little lift she could without overshooting. Not once did she complain though, and even Nerrow's tough attitude cracked to reveal sympathy and a good deal of respect for the little Kerubi's determination.

"We're nearly there," Kehai assured us for Hoshika's benefit, "This is normally well away of our general trail, but I stumbled onto it by accident and believe me it's worth the bother."

A few seconds later the roar of water reached my ears. A few seconds after that I smelled fresh cool water, damp vegetation and the lush earthy smell of wet soil. We pushed our way through a screen of ferns and found ourselves at the shore of a deep pool. Water cascaded down from a cliff ledge several hundred feet above us to thunder into the pool below and send up a steady cloud of mist and arcing rainbows.

Hoshika gave an appreciative squeak past her panting and flopped down on the wet sand to puff while staring at the spectacle before her. I pulled out a canteen of water and helped her drink while lightly kneading into the sore pads of her paws.

"Why do you push yourself so hard?" Nerrow growled softly.

"Unfortunately, this is the deck of cards she was given when she was born," Kehai spread a blanket and began unpacking sandwiches and snacks while she spoke, "Her body was born to be more suited for being pampered in a lap or sauntering around in a cushy home where the most difficult exercise she would be likely to get is to climb a set of stairs padded with carpet. But her spirit is like mine; she can't stand to be cooped up in a house all day. Not when she can go walking and discover beautiful places and breathe in the heady smells that nature can provide."

"If my legs were even a half inch longer, I wouldn't be such a burden on these trips," Hoshika sighed as I tweaked the last bit of stinging out of a hind foot, "I'm sorry… but I can't live being a fat, useless house pet."

"Nobody's asking you to!" Nerrow growled, "I'm just asking you why you push so hard. You can't help the way you were born! Ask us to slow down some; this ain't the streets y'know."

Hoshika looked away.

Kehai narrowed her eyes and the usually sparkling depths grew shadowed, "She's got a lot of pride, and it galls her to ask for special treatment when all she wants is to be able to do what everybody else does without inconveniencing others."

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, feeling something compress in my chest.

"Fine!" Nerrow pressed his scarred muzzle into Hoshika's fur, "Then pretend you ARE in the streets. Out there we know better than to expect special treatment. You never get that. Never. If we don't have the ability to do it the way everyone else does, then we do it our own way. You make do with what skills you got and to hell with everyone else and what they think. If it works for you, maybe you'll succeed in some way that the others fail at."

Hoshika smiled softly and licked Nerrow's nose with a shockingly pink tongue, "Thank you. I'll try."

"Well then if that's settled, let's eat lunch. This place isn't just a sight during the day, you know. I'll show you a real wonder of nature as the sun starts to set," Kehai beckoned us over to the blanket.

After we ate and relaxed, surrounded by nature, Hoshika caught her breath fairly quickly and was soon exploring the rocks that lined the edge of the pool. Her short legs made scrabbling among the smooth rocks difficult, but she kept on going with a determined expression.

I waded into the shallow water, closing my eyes in pleasure at the feel of cool water swirling around my legs and the soft sand under my paws.

"Now what did I tell you?" I cracked an eye open to see Nerrow glaring at Hoshika as her hind legs scrabbled to shove her higher onto a particularly tall rock, "Climb smarter! You're still trying to stretch long distances like everyone else. Here." He seized one of Hoshika's legs and pressed it onto a ledge formed by a crack in the stone.

I closed my eyes again, smiling slightly as I waded deeper until the water was up to my neck. The bubbles from the water fizzled around me and the steady throb of falling water rumbled against my skin even though the actual waterfall was still a few yards away. It felt almost like a massage.

Nerrow continued giving Hoshika a lesson in climbing and instructed her to make use of ledges and cracks that were far too small for our paws but just right for her own dainty feet.

I waded out when I felt a bit cooler and shook off. Nerrow and Hoshika had finally made it to the top of the boulder and stood side by side, appreciating the view of our little camping spot. A quick glance around revealed Kehai; napping lightly next to the ferns and oblivious to several butterflies that had been attracted to her bright colors and perched on her fur. A shaft of light from the now setting sun spilled into our clearing and filled it with warm orange light.

Kehai woke up with a small snort and called us over, "Okay folks, this is what I really wanted to show you."

We all gathered as the sun began to sink and the temperature dropped slightly. We sat off to the side of the cascading water and back far enough to avoid being hit by the spray. Then the sun reached just the right spot and lit up the water. Suddenly instead of silver droplets the water blazed with orange light, as though made of pure liquid fire.

I stared with my mouth agape and even Nerrow made an appreciative sound. Hoshika clapped her paws enthusiastically.

Kehai bowed dramatically, "And that ladies and gentlesir, is Nature's last and greatest performance tonight."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 6

I woke up the next morning to Merc's noisy descent to the ground floor and discovered a Rose resting just outside my door. After recovering from my surprise, I picked it up and put it gently in my Treasure Chest. There was a faint tingle of magic and I couldn't help but smile. Now it would remain preserved without the danger of it wilting over time.

Satisfied, I padded downstairs to join the family. Nerrow was already downstairs, devouring a piece of French toast. He glanced up when I walked in, however, and slid a chair back for me.

Accepting the silent offer, I took a seat next to him.

"Thank you for the Rose," I whispered.

"Welcome," he mumbled, ducking his head. It took me a second to realize that he felt awkward and shy.

It was obviously a new emotion for him, but I could only smile at his discomfiture. We ate in appreciative silence and took our dishes to the kitchen.

Something twanged in the back of my mind and I realized with a start that it was time to go visit my field again. As everyone scattered to do their various things, I laid a wing lightly across Nerrow's back.

I could almost have sworn he blushed at the touch, difficult as it was to tell with his dark red fur, but I decided not to comment, "Hey, it's been a while since we visited my flowers. Want to join me?"

"Yeah if you don't mind my tagging along," he stood up a little straighter and began to limber up.

"I wouldn't offer if I minded," I arched my back and stretched my wings straight up, then extended them out to the sides so far that the muscles trembled with the strain.

With a leap and a bound we were off. Just like before, he kept pace with me. Racing in my shadow, he ate up the distance with ease that most ground bound Pets could only dream of. He was breathing hard when I landed but followed me through the screen of plant life with a will.

My Hibiscus plants were starting to bloom, just a light haze of color in the sea of their green stems. With luck the field would be a wash in color in just a few days. My Julipflowers were still a bit young yet to start blooming and my Lillies were just on the verge of wilting away. At Nerrow's suggestion, I made plans to scatter a few Giant Roses here and there. If I didn't pick them for corsages, they should last for almost a month, since the bushes would just keep producing them.

"Hey," Nerrow picked up a watering can, "tell you what, you pull the weeds and I'll water the plants."

I was agreeable to that and soon we were deep into our tasks. By the time I got each section done, Nerrow would be back with water to soak the soil behind me.

When I finally sat back and wiped my forehead with a paw, the sun was well past its peak but the field was good for another couple of days. Something rustled slightly and I blinked, gently feeling for it.

A Lilac Hibiscus came away in my paws and I stared at it in surprise. It had been twined gently around one of my horns; no accident could have done that. I turned my head and stared at Nerrow, but he was busily scraping up the pulled weeds into a pile with his paws. He snatched them up, turned and carried the bitter bundle in his jaws until he vanished from view through the curtain of vegetation.

I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. He was like a romantic ninja or something; I'd never felt him put the flower there.

I clamped the stem gently between my teeth so it wouldn't fall off during flight, put the watering cans away and trotted after Nerrow.

He ducked his head shyly as I smiled at him around the flower and we made our swift way home.

"Heeeyyy!"

We arrived only to be hailed by Quitzel as soon as I landed lightly next to Nerrow. The Dusk Lain swooped down to perch lightly on a statue that stood to one side of the doors.

"Hey guys, we were afraid you were going to miss it. Hope you're not too tired. They're shooting off fireworks over the lake. Come on, I'll show you where to go."

I shot a glance at Nerrow, who was panting again, "How far?"

Quitzel shook his head, "Not far. C'mon." he took flight again and pointed with his clawed feet to the roof of the house, "There's a window you can climb out from the attic. Just go slowly and don't be afraid to dig your claws in."

Nerrow snorted softly, "Looks like the roof is crowded enough as it is without us adding to it."

"Ahh, well, it doesn't matter if you don't want to, I was just offering the invitation," he did a wingover and swooped back up to the roof.

I had to agree with Nerrow; the family was large and it looked like most of the good spots were already taken up. I looked around for another decent vantage point and grinned. It was lower than the roof but I could bet it wasn't crowded.

I tapped Nerrow's shoulder and with a spring and assisting flap of my wings I landed on the stone fence that surrounded the property. It was just wide enough to sit on and it was only a short trek along the top to reach a spot shielded from behind by trees on the property and a broad view of the valley and lake below our hill on the other side. I smiled encouragingly down at him.

After edging back to give him plenty of room, I gently twined the hibiscus back around one of my horns; it should keep for another hour or so until I could put it in my treasure chest to be preserved.

He flashed a grin at me and leaped up, his claws catching on the edge of the stone fence as he scrabbled with his hind paws for leverage. I leaned over and seized him by the scruff of his neck with my jaws. For a second I thought we'd both teeter back off, and then I pulled at the same time as his hind claws found purchase on the stonework of the wall. Suddenly he was up beside me, and I let go when I was sure we both had our balance.

The day was rapidly coming to an end; the sun setting in a blaze of orange light that reflected off of the clouds. As the sky changed from tangerine to dark blue, a barge chugged its way out to the middle of Veta Lake and took up its position. There was an anticipatory pause and then a sudden streak of green took to the sky with a whistle. There was a second of nothing and then with a rolling boom it exploded high in the air, sending dazzling emerald sparkles in a magnificent expanding cloud.

Nerrow straightened in surprise next to me. I hadn't seen fireworks before either and I heard appreciative cries from the roof behind us. I leaned lightly against him as the temperature began to drop and another trail of blazing orange and yellow took to the skies.

Although I wasn't looking at him, I could hear a smile in Nerrow's voice as he murmured, "Well now this I like." He tentatively reached around and pulled me closer.

"Yeah, and the fireworks aren't bad either," I smiled, then made an appreciative sound as red sparkles lit the sky to offset a blast of dazzling purple right next to it.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 7

The next morning, I woke up early and slipped out of my room to do some shopping. Mom had raised an eyebrow but didn't comment as she handed over the money. The knowing gleam in her eyes told me that she had her suspicions about where the Subeta Points were going and I think my shy grin confirmed it. The Holiday Shop was an easy in-and-out visit and I got back home just as the first scent of bacon began to waft out of the kitchen.

I didn't have much time. Mercolo had one hell of a nose and he'd soon be waking everyone up with his customary charge down to the kitchen. I padded quickly up the stairs and quietly placed a Tangerine Sunset Firework outside of Nerrow's door. Then I crept back to my room and smiled at my growing collection of flowers.

The following days blended pleasantly into one another. Alkuna was often busy during the day, making money to feed us and saving up for our eventual change. But in the evenings she would spend time with all of us; it didn't matter whether she was asking how our day went or simply joining in on a hobby or task in companionable silence.

Nerrow and I continued leaving small presents for each other, and the others were starting to smile whenever they saw us together. Mercolo occasionally lamented in a loud voice about unrequited love for the 'gorgeous Dragarth Damsel' and Lacoda would swat him on the nose. Nerrow finally told him where to shove his 'unrequited love' and to go find another damsel to woo.

Then one day Alkuna called me downstairs with a smile. Curious in spite of himself, Nerrow followed me.

"I've got some good news Terentia," she greeted me; "It's the right time of month. If you want, we can go up to the Coda Caves and dig up some crystals."

"Er, why?" I tilted my head.

She laughed, "You want to be Galactic right? Well the only way to do that is to dig up crystals until you have enough to trade in for the color job. It's not a potion like most others."

_Oh. Oh! Silly Dragarth!_ I nodded vigorously, "Then yes, I definitely want to. Can Nerrow come as well? I mean if _you_ want to," I added, turning to him.

He nodded, "Of course."

Alkuna smiled a little, "We can dig once an hour today and tomorrow. Then we'll have to wait for another month before we can dig or get you painted again. It depends on whether you get the crystals you need."

I was lucky enough to get half of the gems I needed that day, but by the time we left, I was surprisingly sick of the rather pretty galactic fairy. She looked very beautiful, but her attitude put me in an off mood. She didn't like us around, made us feel like a burden and implied that we were tainted in some way. Nerrow was silent the entire time, and I couldn't help but worry that he was going to be very pissed once we got out of range of Celesse's hearing.

When we got home and he still didn't say anything about it, I gently pulled him aside and looked at him worriedly, "Nerrow, are you all right?"

"Hmm?" he looked up at me, broken out of a seemingly preoccupied state of mind.

"Weren't you offended by Ceresse and the way she treated us?" I asked a little worriedly, leaning lightly against his shoulder.

He snorted scornfully, "Pffft. No. She's just being mouthy because he's got some high horse to sit on. I learned a while ago that people who waste time on words do so to distract you from a fight. Either to make you slip up and do something dumb or to press you into a fight. Once you learn to ignore the ones that are all talk, you can pound the mouthy fighters into the dirt."

"Ohhh. Well okay then… Um, not trying to pry but… um... you seemed preoccupied this afternoon. Anything you want to talk about?" I half closed my eyes contentedly in the sunlight; between the warm sun and the feel of him pressed gently against my side was making me feel quite lazy.

"I'm not so sure I want to change. I'm not even sure I want to see you change." Nerrow's frank admission almost made me fall over.

"B-B-But why?" I sputtered, trying to bring my brain up to speed with this revelation, "We both worked on your possibilities for hours. An-And you said I would look good as a Galactic Dragarth."

"Oh believe me, you would." He pressed his muzzle against my shoulder reassuringly and closing his fierce yellow eyes, "…you would be so beautiful…"

I felt my face heat up with the blush that got past my attempt to control it. Finally I managed to focus on what he'd said instead of the feel of him softly nuzzling me.

"I… I don't understand then. What's wrong? Don't you want to be a Dark Matter Tigrean, Dark Matter Celinox, or Reborn Archan?" I was surprised that I still remembered all of his choices after so long.

He sighed and clawed absently at the lawn beneath his feet, "I don't know. There are so many rumors in the streets it's hard to know the truth from the lies. Some say zapping hurts but it really doesn't. Some said that you can't trust anybody in this world but yourself and yet I met you and…" he swallowed awkwardly, "and I would want no one else sharing my life with me."

I felt my second blush of the day creeping up my cheeks but he continued, almost afraid to look me in the eyes, "Some say that the rich are snooty, and I've seen that become true sometimes. Some say that any pet that gets colored by a potion changes both inside and out, their personalities changing so much that they're not the Pets they used to be. I've seen that happen too."

I felt a jolt of realization crackle through my fur and along my spine. He was afraid he would change. He was afraid _I_ would change. And after seeing how Ceresse acted, he was afraid I'd start acting that way too. He thought he was going to lose me.

I didn't know whether to go all mushy because he cared that much about me or be afraid of what might happen to me too.

The question was, who could I go to? Everyone here had been given a potion job except us. But they'd also gotten their colors almost the instant they were Created. So it wasn't like a personality really had been noticed beforehand.

Then I bit my lip as I remembered something from Mercolo's letter... Alkuma had once been colored Reborn before her current Galactic look. If anyone knew about being new looks, she would.

"Alkuma? Can I talk to you?" I stepped up hesitantly to the grumpy Tigrean while she polished her Aemis. That Legendary bow was one of her most powerful weapons, and it scared me a little. The thing never needed arrows, because it had the power to craft them out of pure elemental Air. But I was determined to talk with her and wouldn't let it scare me off this time.

"I'm not exactly conversationalist material, kid," she growled back, pulling gently on the string to make sure it was still supple.

I swallowed as a thin shaft of white energy formed under the tension of the string. As she gently released the pressure, the energy dissipated. "W-Well, I wanted to ask you something. Something that out of everyone in this family, you would know about." I slowly sat down next to her.

She flicked an ear at me to show she was listening as she checked the limbs for weaknesses.

"You see, Nerrow and I… well we've never gotten new colors so late in our lives. We've heard that sometimes a color change can also mean a personality change. And after seeing how Ceresse acted… well, we're kind of afraid I'll become snooty like her…" I bit my lip anxiously.

Alkuma paused and turned to look at me from her icy green eyes. Slowly she put down the Aemis and tapped her claws thoughtfully on the table, "I can see where this is going. And since I went to the Coda Caves myself once, I would know, right?"

I nodded.

Alkuma sighed, "I hate to tell you this kid, but I don't think I'll be any help. I was Reborn as long as I could remember. I've always, to my knowledge, been the way I am. That could be because the Reborn potion made me this way and it's so deeply stuck in me that a new color won't weed it out. It could also be that this is my real personality, and Mom doesn't want me any other way so I was immune to those damned fairy's attempts to change me inside."

I hung my head a little bit.

Alkuma's gruff voice softened a little and she patted my shoulder gently, "I'm sorry kiddo. I really am. I wish I could tell you for sure, but I think you should be told the truth even if it doesn't give you any closure. Maybe you should ask Mom instead of me."

Waiting for Alkuna to come home was the hardest thing for me to do. It was even harder to me to get the guts to pull her aside after everyone enthusiastically welcomed her home. Even when we sat down alone together in the living room, a miracle in itself thanks mostly to Alkuma obligingly shooing everyone outside, I was having trouble starting.

"Mom," I began hesitantly, "would you... ever want my personality to change?"

She gave me a startled look and lightly ran her fingers through the tuft of fur on my forehead, "Well, would you want it to?"

"I-I'm asking you," I insisted.

"To be honest, the thought never crossed my mind," she said finally, "I've always believed that everyone has a right to be who they want to be. And I don't really care if you're as soft hearted as Lacoda, or spend your days cackling maniacally and making things explode while you try to take over the world. As long as you followed the House Rules, I think it would just make you miserable if I tried forcing any other ideals onto you. Onto any of you."

When I went quiet and stared thoughtfully at the couch cushion between my paws, she gave one of my horns a little tug until I looked back up at her, "What brought this on anyway?"

Unhappily I explained our predicament and our fears.

"I see. Yes I've heard those rumors myself. And in fact, I've seen it happen sometimes on another world I used to frequent." I gulped and she continued, "You know, those changes in the other world only seemed to happen if both the pet and their Owner let them happen. If the pet really didn't want to change in their heart of hearts, then the changes never happened inside. If the pet was foolishly shallow and cared only for appearances, then some subtle magic in their color change affected them too."

"Um, what about you?" I asked.

"What about me?" she raised an eyebrow at me.

"You change your appearance every month. Aren't you afraid you'll loose yourself in your changes?" So saying I gently batted a paw at one of Mom's blue Kitsune ears nestled in her blonde hair.

She laughed at me and plucked the ears right off her head. I jumped as her nine blue tails fell away from her backside and converted into a tuft of blue dyed fur.

"It's only a costume Terentia," she explained gently, "It's not real like a potion or an elixir. Even if I wear them, they don't change my actual body one little bit, much less me inside. I don't get better hearing with the ears, and the tails don't work the way, say, a Kumos' tail would work."

I tried the forums after that. Shh, don't tell anyone, but there's a secret forum that human users can't find. Only a Subeta Pet can access them. I posted my question on the forums. I got a response from a number of other pets, which unfortunately didn't do me a whole lot of good since everyone seemed to have different answers.

"I don't see why you're so worried Terentia. - I've changed my looks a dozen times over and it's never bothered me. My little brother still annoys me, I still make my bed when my Dad tells me to and I still love sneaking cookies into my room late at night. (Shhh! Don't tell him that!) –Serva the Twilight-Reborn-Dark Matter Feli"

"Hmph. You really should be painted a better color than Lilac my dear. It's sooo last year. Honestly you'd just be better off than the lot of those boring fools if you'd go Gold or better; Reborn. I was soooooo miserable until I was painted Angelic and now I'm sooo much happier. – Venus Tears, the Angelic Archan"

"AUUUGH! IT'S ALL A CONSPIRACY! DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES! DON'T LOOK AWAY! THE MEN IN BLACK ARE COMING AND THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU THEIR SLA— BEEEEP We sincerely apologize for this technical difficulty. Please continue with your normal lives. This never happened. – The MIB

"LOL! What the heck was that?!" – Oofma the Scribble Demi

"Huh. Y'know I don't know for sure. It's a good question. Let me know how it turns out! 3 – Sasha the Common Tigrean"

I sighed and put my head down on my paws. After asking everybody, I could think of, I still didn't have a definitive answer. What was I going to say to Nerrow? I had nothing to offer him that would make him feel better about the whole thing. And I was still worried myself. I stared despondently at my post as more and more Pets offered their advice; nothing really comforting when compared to someone else's post saying the exact opposite.

Nerrow joined me quietly a few minutes later, "Any luck?"

"No. Everybody has an opinion, and none of them have any real answers." Another post popped up, and I read it through, then my spirits drooped a little again. Still nothing.

He lay down next to me, facing the opposite direction and gently pillowed his head on my flanks. I returned the gesture, a little snuggling trick we both learned to give each other when we want to be supporting and still give the other one the illusion that we didn't know when they were feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Nerrow in particular hated to show when he was upset or sad, so if I turned my back, I could give him support while pretending not to see any sign of "weakness" on his face.

Finally Nerrow gently nipped one of my wings, "Come on. We're not getting anywhere here. We're just going to get more stressed out the longer we sit around waiting."

I suppressed a smile. Nerrow had a very good point, so I pushed myself up onto all four paws and followed him away from the board. It would be easy to come back another time and check it out. My flowers had been watered yesterday, so there was no reason to go messing around with them as a distraction. Having nothing else to do, we decided to swing by the News before just heading home.

Nerrow abruptly stopped dead ahead of me and I nearly bumped into him. I peered around his scarred shoulders and gaped. The Reborn Archan had been released today it seemed. Slowly Nerrow's lip curled in disgust before he turned away. Sad to say, I had to agree with him. It wasn't that it was terrible, it just wasn't Nerrow.

"Sooo…" I let the word out in a long breath, "Dark Matter Tigrean or Dark Matter Celinox."

"I guess. I have to admit I liked the Archan though." He admitted thoughtfully.

"Well, what would be wrong with going Common for a while?" I wondered aloud, "You could just wait until something good comes out. It's about time for a new color to come out of the design team's imaginations."

I turned out to be right. Only a few days later, the Nightmare potion was released.

I took one look at the Nightmare Archan and gulped.

Nerrow was entranced.

I sighed inwardly. Nerrow liked it. If Nerrow wanted to be a Nightmare Archan then I had no right to try to dissuade him.

"You're afraid of it," he rasped softly in my ear.

I jumped. I glanced at him then dropped my eyes guiltily. "Yeah," I agreed softly, "But… I was afraid of you too at first."

He watched me quietly, his intense yellow gaze never leaving my face.

My eyes lifted to look at the Archan, staring down at us from its poster. If I looked away, I could swear the creepy black mist that surrounded it was moving slightly. Looking at it, my feelings were mixed. It was creepy. I was afraid of it. But it suited Nerrow like nothing else. I could envision that scarred body of his transforming into the dark beast that posed on the poster, and despite my fear, I liked the idea.

He chuckled softly, sending shivers down my spine, and nuzzled slowly along my neck, "You're as easy to read as a book. So you'd like it? If I became a Nightmare Archan I mean."

I looked away from the poster and gazed directly into his eyes for a long moment, then smiled and nuzzled his cheek softly, "You'd look great."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 8

The next day my hunt for crystals was enthusiastic. I sought crystals with a stubborn determination that really only masked my anxiety. Nerrow and I had picked the colors we wanted, but the issue of color change was still a touchy subject. Still, I had insisted on being the brave one. Nerrow, who couldn't stand to let me be brave alone, followed my decision.

Mom had been saving for the time when Nerrow finally decided on his appearance, and now he sat off to the side waiting. It hadn't taken her more than an hour to find the potions he needed, and how both bottles rested at his paws; patiently waiting to be used.

The dirt crumbled easily beneath my rounded nails and soon I felt the hard, smooth shape of a crystal. I scraped away a bit more and, with a soft clink, a Dream Gem fell to my feet. There. I had it. The last gem I needed for my new color. I picked it up and stuffed it into the sack I clutched between my teeth.

"Come back in a while, we need time to clean this area now that you've been here," Ceresse announced, wrinkling her nose at the pair of us and glancing at the spot where I had dug.

_Prude._ I thought sourly, _Bet you'll be snotty even after I get blessed._

I turned my back on her and padded over to Nerrow, "I got the last one." I said around the bag, "Let's go find that guy Iltallo."

I approached the old Gypsy, ignoring his prattling about being blessed and decreasing sin and greed. Honestly, the jerk needed to spend a few days in the pound to get his facts straight. I wasn't greedy. I gave thanks every day for Mom, Nerrow, my new family, Nerrow, and especially Nerrow's love.

I lined up the gems in front of the old Gypsy and sat back. He waved his hands over me and muttered some sort of incantation.

I felt a strange sensation sweep through my fur and I closed my eyes so I could concentrate. It felt like a cool breeze on a warm summer's night; cool and warm at the same time. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes in time to see the fur on my chest turn a soft cloudy gray. A quick check showed my tummy was turning the same color. Then my purple fur began to darken and change color by shades. It could have been a few seconds or an eternity, but eventually my fur turned a deep midnight blue. There was a fine tinkling noise, like delicate crystal bells in a soft wind, and then ribbons of gold wound their way through the midnight blue. Intricate designs drew themselves, leaving swirls and pinpoints of color like stars. My eyes crossed briefly as a little pattern of gold marked the top of my muzzle. After a moment, the cool-summer-breeze feeling ended and I would guess so did my color change.

Or so I thought until a faint smoky mist began to rise from my body. I jumped a bit, and then peered intently into it. It was like seeing a glimpse of night sky through fog; a cloud of night sky that would always be with me now.

"You have been blessed my child," Iltallo spoke gently, as if trying to speak to a particularly dense child, "The cloud of sin and greed has been washed from your body."

_Yuh-huh. If you say so old man._ I didn't feel any different now that the changes had happened. Nothing had tried to get inside my head and push changes on my heart or soul. I still loved my flowers. I still loved Nerrow. I was still scared that his transformation would wash away what made him… _him_.

I padded over to Nerrow, who watched my every move with his intense golden gaze.

"Your eyes have changed color," he offered cautiously, holding up a hand held mirror for me.

"They did?" I scrambled forward the last few steps and peered eagerly into the mirror.

He was right. My eyes had been a crystalline orange that had sparkled in the light. Now they were a pale yellow, not quite gold, and no longer like crystals. I had mixed feelings about that. If I had one bit of selfish pride, it had been that my eyes had been my best feature. Then again, the gold in my fur gleamed like highly polished jewelry and the stars in the cloud that surrounded me seemed to twinkle. Maybe it wasn't too bad a trade off.

Still, it would all be for nothing if Nerrow didn't agree.

I glanced away from the mirror and up at his face. An unexpected emotion shifted behind his eyes, one I never would have thought he could express. He was still afraid I had changed inside.

_This is just so messed up,_ I thought, _I'm afraid I don't look good enough for him anymore and he's afraid I'm no longer me. Fine then, first steps first._

I stepped close to him and pressed my muzzle under his chin, nuzzling softly at his throat. His paw came up automatically to hook across my shoulders and I snuggled against him. Something let go inside of him and he rubbed his chin across the top of my muzzle contentedly.

"You look beautiful," he mumbled into my ear as he shifted positions slightly to nuzzle into the side of my neck.

I felt the tension leak out me too and we relaxed into one another's reassurances for a long moment.

Finally we stepped back and turned our attention to the two potions sitting innocuously only a few steps away. A stab of anxiety prickled through me as Nerrow sighed slightly and approached them. Sure, I had changed color, but I was still a Dragarth. Always had been. Who knew what kinds of instincts would come with the body like a lion?

"Let's get out of here," he said brusquely, "Let's not give the gypsies any more reason to complain at us."

I laughed a little and trotted after him, trying to learn to ignore the fog that trailed stubbornly after me like a cloak of night and starlight.

We came to a stop near the Ikumoradeekanox Tree and finally Nerrow set down the Nightmare Potion, keeping a grip on the Archan Elixir.

He gave me a small smile, "Bottoms up."

He drained the bottle in a swift tilt of his head. The instant the very last drop passed his lips, the changes began.

His legs lengthened slightly, making him taller than me. His body became lithe, angular and more feline. The array of spikes melted into his body and the twin tails melded into a single tail. I noticed with dismay that the broken tail became dominant. Soft thick fur enveloped his body, parting around his scars and leaving them unchanged and very prominent. His paws grew to the size of dinner plates while a thick mane surrounded his face and spilled down to broad, powerful shoulders. Then the changes were done and he lashed his still-broken tail before downing the black goo in the Nightmare potion. A shudder rippled through him and I could only imagine how nasty that sludge would taste.

More changes rolled over him; tawny fur and blue mane darkening to the color of a night without stars. Sinister vapors began to roll off of him to coil around anything and everything within reach. The heavy paws abruptly sprouted oversized black claws, which immediately dug harshly into the earth beneath his paws. The worst changes involved his face. Fierce golden eyes darkened until they were wells of pure darkness, broken only by a pinpoint of light deep within them that only served to make them all the more frightening. It was like sitting at the bottom of a deep well, staring hopelessly up at the top... so very far away. His canine teeth lengthened and grew razor sharp, hanging down just over his bottom lip so that they couldn't possibly be missed even when he closed his mouth.

He paused for an eternal moment, and then shook off vigorously.

"Are... Are you okay?"

He turned and looked at me through his new, seemingly soulless eyes. Then he smiled slightly, not exactly reassuring with those chompers, and pressed his muzzle against my neck. A brand new, harsh, rasping purr scraped its way from his throat and against my neck fur. As though to add reassurance, he nuzzled my neck tenderly and licked my cheek with his semi-rough tongue.

I closed my eyes and leaned lightly against him, letting out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Whatever his new form, he was still my Nerrow.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Subeta yadda yadda Chapter 9

"I'll bet you can run a lot faster now that you can take longer steps and leaps," I told him.

"Want to find out?" he flashed me a fierce smile with his startlingly white teeth.

We took a spaceship ride straight back to Subeta's capitol Centropolis and another quick trip along the river to Veta Lake.

"Ready?" He flashed me another grin.

"Whenever you are," was all I got out of my mouth before he was off like a shot.

I leaped into the air and in a couple beats of my wings was high above him. I glanced down to see his powerful legs devouring the ground. I caught a wind going in just the right direction and rode it. To my surprise, he remained ahead of my shadow.

"Heh! Oh that's how you want to play it huh?" I called down to him with a grin and shifted my wings somewhat.

Now instead of passively gliding, I was using the wind to boost my speed. I angled just a bit lower so I was in the wind instead of on top of it. My shadow sped up across the landscape until it caught up with him. We raced across the distance, each teasing the other with just a bit of challenge until we reached our destination.

Laughing breathlessly, I swooped down to join him and joined him at the bank for a thirsty drink of the cool, clear water. We both needed a break before stepping up to the task of weeding and watering my flowers.

"Hey Tia!" Nerrow called to me from across the patch a few hours later, "Come check this out!"

I tossed aside a weed and stepped carefully around delicate plants until I joined him at his row. Gently Nerrow hooked a black claw under a bit of pure white and I sucked in a happy breath.

Some way, some how, a Shinwas Flower of Morning seed had snuck into my field, and was producing a single perfect bloom amongst my row of Red Hibiscus plants.

"Shall we transplant it?" Nerrow asked, "There's a patch of earth over there where it should do fine…"

I shook my head, "Nah, let it be. It seems to be doing just fine where it is."

Nerrow smiled and dutifully watered the soil at its roots.

Coming home was a mixture of fear and anticipation for the both of us. We'd set out for the Coda Caves together, even declining Mom's offer to come with us. Everyone had known what we were going to turn into, but the two of us had decided to face our new looks and our fears together.

I dove down to land beside Nerrow outside the yard and gave him a quick hug. He stretched up onto his hind legs to open the latch and pushed the gate open. With a final shared glance to bolster our spirits, we stepped into the yard together.

Alkuma was the first to spot the two of us coming in. She paused in the middle of polishing the grip on her Aemis and looked us both over from nose to tail. Finally she stepped close and murmured in a low voice, "Are you two all right? There's still time to smuggle you to your rooms for a few minutes if…"

"We're fine, and we might as well face the masses now as opposed to later." Nerrow nodded slightly to show he was grateful for the offer.

I nodded in agreement and Alkuma gave us a rare warm smile, "Then come on. Everyone else is waiting for you in the front room."

Our reception was warm and enthusiastic. Nerrow and I were fed some cookies by Mom while everyone listened curiously to our recounts of our transformations. Mavhai was absolutely freaked by Nerrow for the first twenty minutes. The rest of the time he spent tentatively investigating the changes. By the end of the evening he was comfortable in his presence.

Finally the pair of us made our excuses and headed wearily up to our rooms. It had been a long day. Okay, technically it was a long day ever since I had gotten out of the pound.

The life of a pound pet isn't easy; getting out of the pound only seemed to complicate matters. Nerrow paused by my bedroom door and he turned those dark eyes to mine. He hesitated only a second before giving me a soft, gentle kiss, his purr rumbling in his throat.

I had to scramble mentally to collect my totally scattered wits enough to kiss him back before he gently broke away. He smiled softly at me, managing not to show too many teeth this time, and headed quietly into his bedroom.

Dazed, I turned slowly back to my room, remembering to close the bedroom door quietly behind me.

The thundering of Mercolo's paws woke me up the next morning, as did Nerrow shouting a good natured curse after the racing Kumos. I blinked sleepily in the morning light, waving away the starry fog that gave the walls a hazy blue and purple look.

When my vision didn't seem to clear I blinked and rubbed my eyes firmly. I looked more closely and realized that the blue shifted to purple and back again, shining with a diffused glow from…

I turned my head as reflected sunlight shone right in my eyes.

Dangling in my bedroom window was a single Dream Gem suspended from a slender silver chain. A slow, soft smile slid across my muzzle and I gently toyed with it. Who knows when he'd found the time to dig it out. And who knows where he found the gorgeous chain. And who knows how he snuck into my room without waking me up.

But I knew, without a doubt, that Nerrow had gotten it for me.

And I heard a light but impatient rap on my door and Nerrow's gruff voice rumbling out, "Come on Tia, Lacoda made waffles this morning!"

And as the heady scent of warm maple syrup leaked teasingly into my room, I scrambled off my bed – managing not to get tangled in the sheets or fall on my face – and joined my boyfriend… and my family... at the breakfast table.

"Hey! The two stragglers made it! Come on you two! Lacoda's saving you a stack, so you haven't missed anything, but you better join us quick or we'll eat those too!" Mavhai called us over.

"Yeah, c'mon and join us! Don't be shy, you know you're welcome here with us." Konaro pulled out two chairs for us to join him at the table.

'You're welcome here'

_I am home._


End file.
